Caray, Caray!

OK, folks, this was a pretty dull episode, and I'm tired, so let's roll.

Tonight's first vocab word is guero - blond or fair. Tomas dyed his hair - not to look like Lorena Herrera (see right) or Cachirulo (anybody?) - but to resemble Aldo. "You look exactly like him," Lety lies cheerfully.

1. Another #$%^@ meeting.

Calling him pituca (stuck-up), Fern insists DomensaEEN doesn't belong meddling in the ad campaign. Fern's sarcastic, contemptuous enumeration of the glories of Mexican cuisine ("chalupas, tacos, all that...") causes Aldo to launch his usual blowhard monologue about the glories of Mexican cooking.


Fortuitously, Guillermo Andreu shows up. Although to me he looks like Cro-Magnon man, the cuartel shriek and drool over him.

PM announces in the meeting, "there's a man to see Lety," Fern groans, "aNOTHer one?" Guillermo announces that he's ready to sign on the dotted line but only if Aldo is made head of the project.

Fern, who is such a baby these days he should be sent to "time out", yells "what gives you the right to tell us what to do?" "My two million dollars. We could take our business elsewhere." Lety squelches Fern and accepts Guillermo's condition. Tomas gives a report on preproduction costs. Guillermo approves and says goodbye.

As Aldo is showing his friend out, Guillermo opines that Fern is "unstable." Heh.

In Aldo's absence, Fern rants: it's Lety's fault a taco maker is now in charge - where'd you find this guy? Chopping tacos of chapulín (locusts)? Caro crisply rehashes that, actually, Aldo is an internationally renowned chef etc.

Aldo returns, looks around, and benignly asks: "What's this silence? Have you been talking dirt about me? By all means, please continue."

Luigi says (again) he needs free reign to work his magic. Fern says the fair, etc., must serve to attract foreign investors as well as tourists; trips must be made to the U.S. and Europe to work out marketing channels etc.

After some wrangling, it's decided he will go to the US and Marcia to Europe, though she's angry there will be an ocean between them. They're told to get budgets together and give them to Tomas for approval.

Luigi asks how he'll get along without his executive producer - they point out Omar will be around to help Luigi. "OK, at least he's guapo."

Caro, who has done mostly sitting in this meeting, looks incredibly bored and irritated. Can you imagine how many tiresome hours these actors have had to spend around that conference table?

Fern leaves, hauling Omar out with him, to air his usual grievances against DomensaEEN. Caro leaves to have a talk with Marcia ("I know she's going to ask about my friendship with you.")

This leaves Aldo and Lety. She says she'd feared Fern's wish to expel Aldo would be a big headache "but then Guillermo, like a guardian angel, put things right. I would have fought for you - I need you here." "I'm at your disposal, and further, I'd like to take you to dinner." "I told the cuartel I'd eat with them." "When can you work me into your schedule? And - you look sad. Is it for Fernando?"

2. Another scene of Lola and the alimony.

While waiting with Sanchez for Señor Cheque to arrive, Lola has a little fantasy: that Efren takes her in his arms, kisses her and says he loves her, and begs her to forgive him, to take him back, so the family will be together.

She snaps out of it when he actually arrives saying "let's get this over with as fast as possible."

Cheque irritates the (female) judge who ends up awarding Lola hefty monthly checks. Cheque is frightened about telling Jazmin.

3. Another scene of Alicia the convenenciera scheming to get money.

While the cuartel complains that Alicia hangs up on callers and won't take messages, Simon arrives with a wad of messages for Alicia, from her creditors.

"Tell them I'm dead or moved to Indonesia." "Be strong, face your fears, it's a first step to solving your problem," he councils sagely. "These bills are like a death sentence" Alicia wails.

She calls Martha, who is gloating over these monetary misfortunes, a tinaco ambulante (walking water tank). [I am SO annoyed the way they keep stuffing food in this poor actress's face - do they really think we'll think this is funny? --Ed.]

"My poverty has a limit! [looks glumly at the wad of bills] OK no food, no car, no light, but I HAVE to have my cellphone!" Alicia asks SIMON to lend her money! He looks at her cellular bill and says his whole family lives on less than that. "Your hair dye is affecting your IQ adversely." "I'm a NATURAL blond!" "I couldn't get this much money together in several lifetimes!" Simon informs her. It's suggested she ask Aldo for the money: after all, their wedding is imminent...

Labels: fea